Robin Fawcett On The Verbal Group

A parallel paper given by Professor Robin Fawcett at the International Systemic Functional Congress held at the University of Melbourne in 2000, was titled, if I remember correctly, something like: 'Why Not Abolish The Verbal Group?'

Fawcett's argument was concerned with the experiential structure of the verbal group: Finite and Event and the optional elements Auxiliary and Polarity. There was no discussion of the logical structure of the verbal group.

Blogger Comments:

Now, as Halliday (1994: 196) pointed out, 'the experiential structure is extremely simple; and most of the semantic load is carried by the logical structure, including the tense system'.

The value of the logical structure in elegantly explaining the tense system of English was pointed out to Fawcett by Erich Steiner at the end of the presentation, despite the lack of time afforded by Fawcett for any discussion.

Robin Fawcett On Rheme

On the Sysfling email discussion list, Professor Robin Fawcett argued that 'Rheme' "does not exist" and should thus be removed from the theoretical architecture of Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory.








Blogger Comments:

'Rheme' merely refers to that part of the clause which is not 'Theme'. 'Rheme' is a case of 'a presence marking an absence'. Without 'Rheme', 'Theme' extends over the entire clause, meaning that the entire clause becomes the point of departure for the clause as message — a notion which is logically incoherent.

A second point is Fawcett's notion of semiotic categories "existing" or not. Such construals of experience are either functional or not. This is the epistemological position that informs and is informed by Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory.

Robin Fawcett On Agent

On the Sys-Func email discussion list, Professor Robin Fawcett argued that for a clause of the type Cameron Diaz burped (it apparently described an incident on British TV), he would analyse the participant as Agent if the act was deliberate, but as Medium otherwise.

Blogger Comments:

Fawcett's analysis for the behavioural clause when the process is deliberate:

Cameron Diaz	burped
Agent	Process

that is, is as externally caused Process with no Medium through which to unfold.

Fawcett's analysis for the same behavioural clause when the process is not deliberate:

Cameron Diaz	burped
Medium	Process

That is, Fawcett ascribes agency to a participant on the basis of a circumstance. Cf

Cameron Diaz	burped	deliberately
Medium	Process	Manner

An example of genuine agency in a behavioural clause is:

Cameron Diaz	burped	the baby
Agent	Process	Medium